Independently-developed video games are getting a lot more attention in gaming media thanks to mediums like Steam Greenlight, which allows users to vote new games into the Steam store, and easy-to-use game development programs like GameMaker that have led to smash-hits like Derek Yu’s Spelunky.

However, while the hype behind some of these games is huge, budgets remain shoestring and developers have to cobble together their games out-of-pocket. I reached out to two women working in independent game development to learn how they navigate its financial aspects.